Hosiery-turner.



O. H. MATTHEWS.

HOSIERY TURNER.

Patented June 25, 1912.

lllh TTE CHARLES H. MATTHEWS, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

HOSIERY-TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 19121 Application filed March 22, 1912. Serial No.685,556.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that T, CHARLES H. Ma'r'rrmws, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inI-Iosiery-Turners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hosiery turners and has for its object toproduce a device of this character for use in laundries and upon which asingle operator can turn several times as many stockings or half hoseascould be turned by hand in the same period of time.

A further object to produce a device of this character provided with aspreader bar for spreading stockings or half hose preliminary to thepressing or ironing operation.

Another object is to produce a device of this character of simple,strong, durable and cheap construction.

lWith these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafterdescribed. and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understoodreference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1,is a perspective view of a hosiery turner embodying my invention. Fig.2, is a side elevation of the turner.

In the said drawing, 1 indicates a base and secured thereon is a block2, upon which is secured in any suitable manner a standard 3, thestandard being preferably braced against rearward and lateral movementby knee-blocks 1.

Theupper half of the standard 3, is of substantially semi-circular formin cross section and constitutes a jaw 5, terminating in an enlargementor segment shaped head 6. At a suitable point the standard is providedat its front side with a cross piece 7, terminating in a narrow tongue 8fitting loosely in an opening 10 in a standard 9, pivoted at 11, on thetongue 8 of cross piece 7 cent and secured to said faces for the purposeof more etl'ectually gripping a stock ing or sock are leather orequivalent st ripsi14t.

15 is a spring interposed between the fixed standard 3 and pivotedstandard 9 below the pivotal point of the latter and said spring tendsto hold the jaws closed, a pair of guide strips 16, being secured to thebase 1 at opposite sides of the jaw 9, to insure the proper movement ofthe same and thereby prevent the imposition of twisting or lateralstrain on the pivot block 7.

17 is a foot lever hinged at 18to the front end of the base and heldelevated normally by a suitable spring 19, interposed between the baseand said lever.

20 is a standard secured as shown or in any suitable manner to the block2 upon base 1 and the function of said standard is to spread the foldedsock or stocking before the same is passed between the ironing rolls. Toturn a sock or stocking the same is slipped down over the normallyclosed jaws, as shown in Fig. 1. The operator then applies foot pressureupon lever 17 to open the aws and at the same time with the edge of herhand presses the toe portion of the seek or stocking down between theheads of the aws and while holding it in this position she relaxes thefoot pressure on the foot lever to permit the same to be reelevated andspring 15 to reclose the jaws and thereby pinch the stocking or sockbetween the heads.

If the sock or stocking is to be completely turned, the operator graspsthe leg portion and draws it upward and turns it completely inside outor vice versa, accordingly as the stocking was right side out or notwhen upon the jaws.

If it is desired to half turn the stocking or sock, it ispulled upwardoff the jaws by grasping the heel which obviously leaves the upperportion of the sock turned in the leg portion.

The operation of placing the stocking or sock upon the device and thenturning or half turning the former is performed with great rapidity anddoes not necessitate the insertion of the operators hand in the stockingor sock at any step of the operation.

If the stocking or sock is to be ironed or pressed, it is preferableafter turning or half turning the same, to slip it down upon the upperend of the spreader of standard 20 which spreads it flatly so that inturned or half turned condition it can be fed be tween the ironingrolls.

It is obvious that other changes may be readily made without departingfrom the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hosiery turner, comprising a pair of upright standards pivotedtogether and constituting semi-cylindrical jaws above the pivotalpoints, said jaws terminating at their upper ends in enlargementsforming segment-shaped heads, a spring for normally holding the heads ofthe jaws to gether, and a foot lever for overcoming the resistance ofsaid spring and imparting a relative pivotal operation-to the standardsfor separating the said heads.

2. A hosiery turner, comprising a base, a fixed standard mounted on thebase a sec- 0nd standard pivoted to the first and both standards abovethe pivotal point being of semi-cylindrical form in cross section andterminating at their upper extremities in segmentshaped heads, a springinterposed between said standards below the pivotal point to hold theirheads in engagement and a foot lever hinged to the base and adapted whenpressed downward to force the lower end of the pivoted standard towardthe corresponding end of the fixed standard and thus effect separatingmovement of the heads of said standards.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES H. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

HELEN C. RODGERS, G. Y. THoRrn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C.

